Promises to be Kept
by Arianna456
Summary: A few years after Try, strange events are brewing into a storm. How can disappearances of random people in random places, followed by their bodies found drained of blood be connected to Lina Inverse and a cat? No pairings. Much sillier then it sounds.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Ari: Okay, before the pitchforks and torches come out, Ari has a reason for not writing fanfiction in forever! ...But she can't remember it now so please don't hurt me! -cowers-

Err... Anyway, Ari randomly decided to finish up this fic (so she could start on the sequel she's dying for) and... writer's block hit. So yeah, time to re-do the whole thing xD

Disclaimer: Like all fanfic writers, I wish to death I owned Slayers (I could make some fun changes) but that is not the case, and I make no profit from writing stories, except maybe the confidence in myself that people give me when they review

--

"Cedrick!" The silver-haired girl looked torn, as if fighting the urge to panic and faint and the same time, and yet somehow, the expression not at all altering the inhuman beauty of her, the sharp elfin features unchanged, the only evidence of her stress being her amethyst eyes, which, oddly, were glassy.

The man she was facing, who just so happened to be named Cedrick, ignored her. His face was dark with remembered pain, the agony of it tearing his normally handsome features into a mask of hatred and perceived slight. His silver hair, alike almost to mocking his sister's except for a brown tint, flowed about him as he bent ever so slightly into a crouch, with a movement so smooth nothing human could have duplicated it with the careless grace that he had employed in his every move.

Watching quietly, without her usual quips that she usually threw at her opponents, Lina Inverse began to be very afraid. In the corner of her eye, she noticed the few not stunned by the fighter moving into position, most notably Zelgadis and Xellos. Her fear was not abated by the fact she noticed the mazoku's eyes were open.

Cedrick was still, neither of his hands going towards the sword on his hip, or any of the daggers probably hidden on his person, and if she had not been a bit to worried about dying, the sorceress probably would have joked about the Salinian paranoia. Not in such a mood, Lina quickly glanced at the one ally who might have had a hope at defeating him, but no, Rhianna still stood there, stricken, probably not even noticing that her brother was hostile, so shocked she was to see him.

Abruptly, Zelgadis rushed him, in a vain hope to catch the killer by surprise, and sadly, he was not disappointed. At the very last second, he tore his gaze from the sorceress and in a lightning fast movement, his sword was drawn, and Zelgadis was skidding backward, repelled by a simple parry of his sword. The chimera swore and leapt to his, shaking his arm slightly, as if to get rid of the burning sensation. Impossibly, the crystal floor was not at all scratched, the rough stone wall not at all dented from the man of stone's hit.

With a growl more fitting to his animal counterpart, Cedrick, his hair, not even slightly tousled by Zelgadis's attack, straightened and stalked toward Lina, murder evident in his eyes. the slight tapping her jeweled slippers made on the floor was all the warning they got as she surprised every being around her by running in front of Lina, spreading her arms in a feeble attempt to stop him.

And, miraculously, he stopped, quickly determining the distance between his sister, himself, and his prey. "Move, Rhianna." The growl of his tone did not at all mask the musical tone of his voice, yet it somehow fit him, the similar sharp, beautiful feature completely suited to the beauty of his voice.

Only the slightest trembling of her lips gave away how her emotions opposed facing the twin she thought dead for so many years. Her expression, once torn, was now resolute. "Kill me first."

His yellow feline eyes widened ever so slightly; killing Lina Inverse was his perceived duty, his sister, however, a completely other matter. "Be reasonable."

"I am just that."

"Rhianna," Alarm was now quite evident in both his expression and tone. "You can't- How- SHE is destined to kill you!"

All in the room inhaled abruptly. Only Rhianna remained calm, not giving even the slightest hint that he had said something remotely alarming. "So? I'm already dying. Everyone knows that."

Anger crossed his handsome features, and by the expression on his face, anyone spectating could, and would, assume that everyone had know- but him. _"What?!"_

Rhianna made the slightest movement, a toss of her hair, and for an instant, his intended prey, her expression in actuality one of severe alarm, seemed to take on one of triumph before his eyes, and without thinking, in reaction, he whipped out a knife and threw it.

Her immortal amethyst eyes widened ever so slightly in pain as the dagger embedded itself in her stomach, but as she grasped the wound and blood began to flow through her fingers, Rhianna Saline serenely closed her eyes. And died.

--

Ari: Okay, WOOT... :)


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Ari: OK Um... yeah. Depressing part over.

Disclaimer: Ari does not own Slayers, nor does she make a profit out of this. She owns about four computer games, multiple copies of the Sims 2 and it's expansions, as well as twelve dollars. Maybe thirteen. We don't know.

--

"Ooh, I'm so bored!" Lina Inverse, sorceress extraordinaire, yawned enormously and glared at the sun in her eyes as she stretched. Unfortunately, not having anything remotely related to an intelligence or other form of life, said ball of fire did not respond to her irritation. _I wonder how much water it takes to put out the sun?_ In one of her classic mood changes Lina immediately began to puzzle over aforementioned question, mentally running through her various spells, variations of said spells, and how much of an impact they would make, with or without using her talismans.

Amelia Wil Tesla Sailune, sitting across from her best friend at one of the outdoor tables of the restaurant they were loitering around, was also quite bored. And annoyed. And very hyper, as she had just downed an ice cream cone filled with sugary deliciousness. Unfortunately, the ice cream had given her a rather large head ache from eating it to quickly, leaving her in no mood to deal with Lina at her worst. She was about to fire off a rather nasty remark that no true defender of justice would say, but, realizing this, she quickly bit it back.

Amelia vaguely wondered what they were doing here. It wasn't like this town had anything in particular to offer; in fact, it seemed very dull, drab, and in other words completely and utterly ordinary. She and Lina had met up just barely a week ago, Lina having sought her out and nagged her into joining her along some 'important mission.' Naturally curious, the princess had agreed to go rather easily, but so far nothing exciting had happened. Amelia twisted a delicate finger through her jet black hair, noting how long it was. In the year since Dark star, Amelia had not once cut her hair, allowing it to grow to the shoulder length it was. _Pretty soon I'm going to start looking like Mother..._ A flash of pain entered her eyes at the memory of her sweet and beautiful mom, the emotion fleeing before any could notice it. All the same, the princess glanced around nervously.

Lina was still contemplating the sky with the look on her face that usually meant she was trying to figure out something important, and as far as she could tell, none of the bystanders chatting away near them were close enough to have noticed. Amelia felt shamed to be worried if someone had seen her pain, but the memories of the sympathy and pitying looks were enough to convince her that showing anything remotely beyond happiness were to strong to ignore.

"So!" Amelia, startled, looked up, at the exclamation that had so jolted her from her thoughts. The logical part of her mind observed the 'I-just-had-a-great-idea-that-will-be-a-lot-fun-for-me-but-not-for-you' on Lina's face, decided it didn't like it, and hurriedly began running through excuses of why she should sit out. Unfortunately, Lina began talking again before she could find one that Lina wouldn't be able to argue with. "So, I just remembered a rumor I heard a couple of days ago about some mysterious disappearances the other day, and naturally, for all that's good, we should go and try to find out what's happening! So you go investigate the bog about ten miles to the south, and I'll head up to the river glade five miles to the west!"

Amelia opened her mouth to protest- swamps and all variations of it are NOT FUN, especially if you're looking for something, as they tend to be very big and gooey- but was cut off before a word left her by the stern, mockingly matronly look on Lina's face. Knowing that arguing was useless- especially because her reasons for not wanting to go there were just as selfish as Lina's-, the princess gave in with poor grace, and, about half an hour later, the two set out, both weighed down with provisions for a week or so's journey.

A black cat lying on the roof of the building opposite the one the travelers were departing watched the goings on with a solely human expression of amusement. The feline absently got to its feet and stretched, surveying it's surroundings with the absentminded disdain that only cats can. Apparently making a decision, it leapt from the roof to a low lying tree branch, to a barrel, then to the dusty road, ignoring the dust it rose as it landed and, even more erratically, ignoring the grit that settled into its fur.

Almost as if guided by some some force grander then their understanding, all workmen and women instinctively avoided stepping on the cat, even going out of their way to keep at least three feet away from it without appearing to notice it. ignoring this odd occurrence, the cat loped quickly down the street, bearing due north.

Had any geographers been around, had they noticed it, they would have been stunned that the feline ran with unfaltering steps toward the Desert of Destruction.

Ari: Yes, I decided not to make Amelia that shallow and silly. The reason, of course, being that I'm only a few years older then her and I can't imagine her being that... Sporadic.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter two

Ari: Gah. Sorry progress is so slow, but I recently got a new computer that has only Microsoft PowerPoint, Picture Movie, and Task Launcher which leaves me with only wordpad to type up stuff, which I absolutely hate. Grr.

Anyway, I don't own Slayers. I don't even own half my stuff; my parents are planing to kick me out at eighteen and sell all of it, I just know it...

--

_I -hate- this..._ Aforementioned lovely black cat from last chapter was leaning over edge the of a wooden wagon, delicately looking as if it was about to pitch breakfast. _And who bothers to drug food anymore?! Couldn't they have at least poisoned it or something, I can handle poison, it's quicker..._

The cat coughed weakly as a large bump jerked its small body upwards with gravity bringing it right back down, a neat and orderly combination that knocked the breath out of it. The feline began to think some very not nice things to say to the driver, that is, if it could speak, which it couldn't, as, being a cat, it couldn't talk.

_But I know what I can do, hee hee hee..._

It stood, swayed a bit, then leapt lightly over to the driver's end of the vehicle, moving with all the cat like arrogance that practically defines the species. With an inhuman intelligence, the creature surveyed its surroundings so as to decide how to bring about the plan rapidly forming in its mind.

Being a hay wagon, there wasn't much but the scratchy stuff that cows and horses eat in there, but the cat, with its keen eyes, noted a small barrel right beneath the driver's seat. _Perfect._

In an almost unconscious movement of grace, the feline leapt lightly onto a stack of hay near it, a second stack, a third, then the barrel. Had human emotions shone on the black cat's face, it would have been expressing a grin more often found on mischievous children then cats.

With an odd delicacy, almost hesitancy, the creature focused, and, using its mind, brushed against the consciousness of the idiot human driving the vehicle.

No reaction.

_Damn._ A second brush, much harder this time, nearly a shove, was just barely canceled out as the wagon, in a strangely smooth course during this bit, ran through a small ditch, throwing the poor cat off its perch with a yowl.

The man, definitely hearing the noise as it was about three feet away from his ear, sharply pulled back the reigns on his horse, causing the animal to rear in pain at the bit digging into its mouth. Said gesture tossed the cursed feline onto the road, and sensing danger, it bolted into the neighboring foliage.

--

Zelgadis leaned against a rock formation, silently counting his blessings that the desert was much cooler at night then during the brutal day. Cold did not bother his body, as stone can withstand much more freezing then the temperature around him, but the heat he could definitely feel, and at the rate of his water supply, knew that if he dared to venture out during the much warmer hours, the perspiration that would follow and the subsequent refilling of his internal water would drain it into nothingness.

The chimera straightened and surveyed the desert around, and, coming to the conclusion that looking at nothing but sand, dirt, and grit is interminably boring, began walking again. Nothing in particular in his surroundings hinted at it, but the air, to him, seemed suddenly electric, as if something important was about to happen. The sensation was not entirely rational, and he was tempted to dismiss it as nothing, yet this same sensation had nearly always turned out to be correct, that in fact something sinister was nearby...

Something brushed against his beige boot.

The man of stone whirled, and, forgetting that he was standing on sand, not solid ground, accidentally buried half of his boot, completely throwing off his balance, allowing Zelgadis to land on his stone butt most ungracefully. He stared at what had touched him. The black cat stared right back at him.

Scrambling back to his feet, rather annoyed with himself with getting so worked up over a stupid cat, Zelgadis snapped, "Go away."

In response the feline meowed piteously, sitting on its haunches and giving him its most 'I'm-so-badly-in-need-of-your-help' looks. Ignoring the feline, Zelgadis turned and began to walk away, stopped only as the cat wound itself in his legs. To avoid tripping and making a fool of himself twice in one night, the chimera untangled one foot and nudged it. No response. Annoyed, Zelgadis drew back his foot to kick it, then staggering as, sensing his actions, the cat shoved at his mind via astral plane.

Regaining his balance a few steps away from the cat, which hadn't moved, stoneboy twisted slightly to stare at the creature, this time noting the small details: ragged, unclean fur, as if it had traveled without stopping to groom, which was rare at the very least, a few patches of fur missing, a few cuts, and even a small part of the tip of its left ear was missing, although the wound looked old. And most disconcerting of all, rather then the green or yellow eyes common to a cat, this had vivid purple eyes, ones that reminded him, oddly enough, of Xellos.

"Well?", said the chimera, feeling incredibly foolish, after a few moments more of staring. "What do you want?"

In a movement, that seemed, to Zelgadis, was made solely to irritate him, the cat sat on its haunches and began to groom itself, satisfied in having got his attention and now determined to make him work to get its.

Zelgadis sighed in exasperation, a gesture that he would repeat many times after meeting said feline.

--

Ari: XD I'm beggining to remember why I loved writing fanfiction...


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